The Air Force received its first "Thud" in 1958.//Air Force
Ever want a military aircraft of your own? All it might take – apparently – is to know the right member of Congress.
Foreign Policy has reported an interesting story about Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who has introduced an amendment ordering an Arizona museum to give up an F-105 “loaned” to it by the Air Force in 1984.
Where would the plane go? To an unnamed individual who wants to restore the Thunderchief and fly it “to honor veterans of the Vietnam War through memorial flights and for the education and enjoyment of future generations of Americans.”
But the F-105 may be safe for now. The amendment has either died or gone on hiatus, reports Foreign Policy, quoting an anonymous source tracking the amendment.
2 Comments
If this particular F-105 is truly in restorable and airworthy condition and a bonafide group or individual wants to get it back in the air to honor the aircraft series, or in this case, our Vietnam Veterans, by all means DO IT. All museum/display aircraft are on “LOAN” by the Air Force and they have the right to take it back. The Arizona Museum should be proud that they’ve kept the aircraft is such good condition that it warrants a historical return to service. Where would we be without “Fifi” or the recent return to the skies of the F-100F with Col. George “Bud” Day in the back seat?
Leave it where it belongs in the museum for people to see, there have to be many other F-105s in boneyards that could be used as this is where most of the spare parts would come from anyway.